Just Watched

The shutdown's biggest winners and losers

Story highlights

The partial government shutdown and debt ceiling crisis shook Washington, the U.S.

After a deal was reached to end the shutdown, certain lawmakers came out on top

Despite the deal, Congress may be back in this same position a few months from now

The government is open. The debt limit is lifted. The fight is over.

But in every fight, there are winners and losers, and this fight is no exception.

From Sen. Ted Cruz, architect of the failed Republican strategy, to Hillary Clinton, who in her silence may have boosted her 2016 presidential prospects, here's a look at who won and who lost during the shutdown/debt ceiling crisis:

President Obama vs. House Speaker JohnBoehner

WINNER: ObamaFrom the beginning, Obama refused to negotiate. He held firm, and nothing significant was changed to his health care law. And, according to public opinion polls, Obama is receiving the least amount of blame for Washington's dysfunction.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz 19 photos

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has quickly made a name for himself. Since taking office in 2012, the Texas Republican has solidified his brand as a conservative firebrand willing to take on establishment members of the GOP.

Hide Caption

1 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz speaks during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, in August 2012.

Hide Caption

2 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Vice President Joe Biden administers the Senate oath to Cruz during a mock swearing-in ceremony in January 2013. Cruz was accompanied by his wife, Heidi Nelson, and his two daughters, Caroline and Catherine.

Hide Caption

3 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

During a news conference in March 2013, Cruz announces a plan to defund the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Hide Caption

4 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz heads to the weekly Senate Republicans policy luncheon in Washington in March 2013.

Hide Caption

5 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz speaks during the National Rifle Association's Annual Meeting and Exhibits in May 2013.

Hide Caption

6 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz speaks during the "Exempt America from Obamacare" rally in Washington in September 2013.

Hide Caption

7 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz emerges from the Senate chamber after spending more than 21 hours railing against Obamacare in September 2013.

Hide Caption

8 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in October 2013.

Hide Caption

9 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

From left, U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Cruz listen as President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address in January 2014.

Hide Caption

10 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz leaves a briefing at the U.S. Capitol in June. The briefing was about the prisoner exchange that freed Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from the Taliban.

Hide Caption

11 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

From left, Cruz attends a Capitol Hill news conference with U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn, John Carter and Lamar Smith in September. Cruz discussed immigration reform at the news conference.

Hide Caption

12 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, center, is joined by Cruz and former Sen. Tom Coburn at a rally in WIchita, Kansas, in October.

Hide Caption

13 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz poses for a selfie following his February speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

Hide Caption

14 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

A woman piles up Cruz stickers during the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Hide Caption

15 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz speaks Tuesday, March 10, during the Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference and Presidential Forum in Washington. Prospective presidential candidates from both political parties participated in the forum.

Hide Caption

16 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

"Late Night" host Seth Meyers interviews Cruz on Monday, March 16.

Hide Caption

17 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

Cruz brings his daughters Caroline, left, and Catherine on stage during a walk-through Sunday, March 22, at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Hide Caption

18 of 19

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz19 photos

On that same stage, Cruz officially announces his campaign for the presidency on Monday, March 23.

Hide Caption

19 of 19

EXPAND GALLERY

LOSER: BoehnerBoehner just can't catch a break. He might have one of the least-wanted jobs in the nation. He tried to appease House conservatives by demanding the president's health care law be defunded. All he got in return was a government shutdown for which the country largely blames him.

LOSERS: Obama and BoehnerOnce again, the President and Boehner were unable to usher negotiations through the finish line. They have a pathetic record in solving government budget battles. Ultimately, other key players had to finalize a deal once again.

McCain: Government won't shutdown again

Just Watched

How much did shutdown cost?

WINNER AND LOSER: CruzThe Texas Republican's 21-hour talk-a-thon on the Senate floor, days before the shutdown began, had little practical impact on getting rid of Obamacare. While it did excite conservatives, it hurt his standing among his Senate colleagues. If Cruz wants to be an effective senator, that will hurt him. If he wants to win the 2016 Republican nomination, that could help him among the most conservative wing of the party. Evidence of that came at the annual Values Voter Summit in Washington. Cruz easily won a straw poll surveying the activists' preferences for a 2016 presidential run.

WINNER: RyanThe head of the House Budget Committee swept in and changed the tenor of the debate. He simultaneously opened the negotiating door with the President and effectively brought House Republicans closer to a unified position. But conservative activists were not pleased. Ryan, who was once a conservative hero as recently as one year ago, finished dead last in the Values Voter Summit straw poll.

Sen. Harry Reid vs. Sen. Mitch McConnell

WINNER: ReidThe Senate majority leader didn't blink. He engaged in high-stakes negotiations and refused to accept a deal that would cut government spending or dissect Obamacare. Ultimately, the negotiations took place on his terms.

LOSER: McConnellWhile the Senate minority leader helped to pull the country back from the brink, it might have hurt his standing with the tea party, which has always been skeptical of him. He is also embroiled in a re-election bid in Kentucky, where he has a primary challenger who is billing himself as a true conservative and a Democratic challenger who is labeling him as too extreme.

Tea party vs. Republicans vs. Democrats

WINNER: DemocratsWhen the focus is on their politically fractured Republican rivals, it's easy to appear united and (mostly) innocent. But Democrats didn't come out of this scot-free. A CNN/ORC poll earlier this month found that 57% of respondents were angry at Democrats for the way they were handling the shutdown.

LOSER: Tea partyOne of the tea party's main priorities is to dismantle the President's health care law. Their demands led to the shutdown of the government, yet the final deal barely touched the health care law. Public opinion of the grass-roots movement continues to fall.

LOSER: Establishment RepublicansRepublicans appear as fractured as ever. In a meeting with House Republicans on Wednesday evening, leadership implored their members to stay united. It was a unifying moment for the GOP, but the question is how long it will last. As for public perception, the Republicans are taking most of the blame, with 63% of respondents in the CNN/ORC poll saying they were angry at the Republicans for the way they had handled the shutdown.

2016: ChrisChristie vs. Hillary Clinton vs. Joe Biden

WINNER: ChristieIn the middle of a re-election campaign, and perhaps considering a presidential run, the New Jersey governor has positioned himself above the fray. In a meeting with the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board, Christie said, "If I was in the Senate right now, I'd kill myself."

WINNER: ClintonClinton largely stayed silent throughout this debate. Why say a word when it could come back to haunt her in an election, especially when she doesn't have a direct role in the outcome?

LOSER: BidenFor the Vice President, it's a different story. It appeared as if he was nowhere near the negotiating table, but he's an active member of the government. It's also a stark contrast to where he sat during the last major budget battles, when he and McConnell brought the deals past the finish line. This time, he didn't say a word.

United States vs. the world

LOSER: The United StatesWhile the United States has spent the past four years lecturing European nations about their economic state, its government has shown that it should not point fingers.

WINNER: Sen. Susan CollinsThe moderate Maine Republican refused to wait for political leaders to announce a deal, and she began talking to senators on both sides of the aisle. Although her talks didn't result in the final agreement, it precipitated talks between Senate leaders after Boehner and Obama's efforts hit a brick wall.

Congressional approval ratings hovered at historic lows. Republican and Democrats hurled insults at each other and among themselves. The political circus in Washington even made its way to "Saturday Night Live: -- in a sketch featuring Miley Cyrus, at that.